During a Motion to approve amended Coronavirus, Restrictions in the North, the Bishop Auckland MP called for the Government to provide more support to the hospitality and events sector.
Since the tougher lockdown measures were announced last month, Bishop Auckland MP Dehenna Davison has been monitoring closely the statistic(s) across County Durham and has today raised the concerns of local residents and business.
Dehenna also asked the Government to consider data on a more local scale, so that areas with minimal localised cases working hard to follow the guidance are able to enjoy more freedoms.
Speaking in the chamber this afternoon, Dehenna Davison MP raised the impacts that the 10pm curfew and the inability of separate households being able to meet indoors is having on pubs. She referred to the difficulties faced by local landlord, Christian Burns, who has seen his pub earnings drop dramatically.
As well as raising the impact of these restrictions on local pubs, Dehenna also mentioned the devastating effects the rules are having on events venues like Lartington Hall, where staff have now been made redundant.
She said:
“If we are to have restrictions on businesses to reduce the spread of the virus then I really do believe we must have greater protections for the sectors which are hit hardest by the inability to socialise.”
Earlier this month, Davison added her name to the Brady amendment, seeking to ensure MPs have the opportunity to debate and vote on any new lockdown measures introduced through secondary legislation. Today’s debate was one of the first since the Government committed to giving Parliament that opportunity for scrutiny.
Following her speech in the House of Commons Chamber today, Dehenna said:
“Pubs and other hospitality venues are at the heart of our community. For that reason, in Parliament I have been asking for new financial support for such businesses who have seen their takings fall through no fault of their own. Today I called on the Government to look closely at providing new, tangible support for our hospitality and events sector and I will continue to push on this issue.
“As soon as the local lockdown measures were announced I received a text from a local pub landlord, essentially saying there was no way they could survive the 10pm curfew. Through no fault of their own, pubs and other hospitality industries are being hit the hardest by these measures and I truly believe we must do all we can to support them.”